The basics of truck accident lawsuits
Truck and tractor trailer accidents can be devastating physically, emotionally and financially for those involved. The large size and weight of many of these commercial transport vehicles means that crashes are more likely to cause a serious injury or death.
As a result of these facts, truck accident lawsuits are handled differently than car accident personal injury lawsuits and different laws apply.
The big difference between an accident with another person in a personal car and a tractor trailer is that the tractor trailer company running the truck probably has a group of highly paid lawyers and investigators on stand-by to quickly resolve any accidents. Within hours, these experts will begin investigating the accident and looking for any way to reduce the amount of damages paid by the trucking company.
If you or a family member is involved in an accident with a tractor trailer, you may begin receiving calls from adjusters and the trucking company’s private investigators in the days immediately after the incident. Do not give any statements or information to these investigators until you have consulted a personal injury attorney. Those investigators are paid to represent the trucking company so in all likelihood the information you give them will be used to limit the amount of damages you receive.
The one advantage you have against the truck company is that they must operate under stricter federal guidelines than the average driver. Many times their negligence to follow these guidelines is what led to the accident in the first place. A skilled truck accident lawyer will be able investigate a crash and uncover any violations of federal law.
There are many avenues to pursue a lawsuit as well. You may be able to recover damages from the driver himself, the truck company and the owner of the trailer depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident.
